While chatting with Doja Cat back in September about her first-ever makeup collaboration with BH Cosmetics, the beloved singer shared some of her go-to makeup tricks with me.
Over the years, Doja Cat has worked with a number of incredibly talented makeup artists, including, but not limited to, Ernesto Casillas, David Velasquez, and Adam Burrell. Every time she’s in the chair with them, Doja studies every flick, sweep, and stamp of their makeup brushes to help improve her own makeup handiwork. “I copy everybody who has done my makeup that I love,” she says. “I even have them write down a list of the products that they use on my face.”
Along the way, she picked up a foolproof tip for contouring her nose. Typically, sculpting that part of your face is not for the faint of heart. It can look harsh, muddy, or even throw your whole face of makeup off balance. Professionals have even often told me you should leave nose contouring to them. However, when Doja breaks down her technique for me, I start considering if I should start contouring my own nose. (Doing so has never ever crossed my mind, by the way.)
Step 1: Coat a Brush Handle in Pigment
Instead of dipping a brush into a contouring cream to paint it on or running a deeper shade of a foundation stick along the sides of her nose, Doja Cat approaches nose contouring in an unexpected way.
To kick things off, Doja coats the handle — not the bristles — of any old makeup brush she has in front of her with her contouring product of choice. (Allure editors are fans of the LYS Beauty Triple Fix Serum Foundation, Bodyography Professional Cosmetics Skin Slip Full Coverage Concealer, and Em Cosmetics So Soft Multi Faceplay, if you need some recommendations.) Makeup artist Joseph Carrillo suggests reaching for a hue that is three shades darker than your skin tone for a natural effect.
Step 2: Lay Down Lines
Next, hold the pigment-covered brush handle parallel to the side of your nose where you want the first contour line to be. Once it’s lined up where you want it, press the brush handle onto your skin to lay down the product. Do the same with what’s left on the brush on the other side of your nose.
The set of lines you created should sandwich the center, highest point — or the bridge, as many people incorrectly call it — of your nose. You’ll notice the lines are much straighter than if you were to freehand them, Doja notes. Plus, this trick is sure to be a lot faster to execute.
Step 3: Tap, Tap, Tap
Finally, tap the contouring pigment to help it melt into your skin. “That’ll make that perfect straight effect,” Doja says. The lines will look less harsh, and you’ll be left with a sculpted, performance-ready nose that Doja Cat would be proud of.
Read more about contouring:
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